Multicomponent oral care composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multicomponent oral health care composition, comprising a source of a fluoride ion, a source of a calcium ion, a source of a phosphate ion, and stabilized chlorine dioxide, that can be used as a toothpaste, oral spray or a mouth wash/oral rinse formulation. The different components in the composition act synergistically together to clean the teeth and mucous membranes of an oral cavity of a subject, perfuming them or protecting them in order to keep them in good condition, change their appearance or correct unpleasant odors. They achieve this by inhibiting caries, promoting teeth remineralization, and helping to alleviate dentine hypersensitivity, gingivitis and periodontal disease.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An oral care composition comprising:
 i) a source of a fluoride ion; 
 ii) a source of a calcium ion; 
 iii) a source of a phosphate ion; and 
 iv) stabilized chlorine dioxide, 
 wherein the source of the calcium ion and the source of the phosphate ion comprises a particulate apatite species, and wherein the pH of the composition is between about 6.0 and about 8.0. 
 
     
     
       2. The oral care composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the particulate apatite species comprises apatite particles, wherein the apatite particles comprise crystallites having a size of less than about 100 nm. 
     
     
       3. The oral care composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the apatite species is based on the formula M 5 (PO 4 ) 3X , wherein M is Ca, Sr, Zn or Mg, and X is F, Cl or OH. 
     
     
       4. The oral care composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the apatite species is a substituted or unsubstituted hydroxyapatite or a substituted or unsubstituted fluorapatite. 
     
     
       5. The oral care composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the apatite species is selected from calcium hydroxyapatite, strontium hydroxyapatite, calcium hydroxycarbonated apatite, strontium hydroxycarbonated apatite, calcium fluorapatite, strontium fluorapatite, mixed strontium calcium apatites or a mixed hydroxyfluorapatite, zinc substituted hydroxyapatite, zinc carbonated hydroxyapatite, zinc fluorapatite, octacalcium phosphate, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
       6. The oral care composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the apatite species is present in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 25 weight percent of the composition, and/or the apatite species has a particle size distribution. 
     
     
       7. The oral care composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the source of a fluoride ion is selected from sodium fluoride, potassium fluoride, disodium monofluorophosphate, tin(II)fluoride, dipotassium fluorophosphates, calcium fluorophosphates, calcium fluoride, ammonium fluoride, aluminium fluoride, hexadecyl ammonium fluoride, 3-(N-hexadecyl-N-2-hydroxy-ethylammonio) ammonium difluoride, N,N′ N′-tris(polyoxyethylene)-N-hexadecylpropylenediaminedihydrofluoride disodium hexafluorosilicate, dipotassiumhexafluorosilicate, ammonium hexafluorosilicate, magnesium hexafluorosilicate or ammonium fluorophosphates, or any combinations of two or more thereof. 
     
     
       8. The oral care composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the source of fluoride ion provides a fluoride concentration in the composition of between 20 and 1500 ppm. 
     
     
       9. The oral care composition according to  claim 8 , wherein when the composition is to be used as toothpaste, the fluoride concentration is between 300 and 1500 ppm. 
     
     
       10. The oral care composition according to  claim 8 , wherein when the composition is to be used as mouth wash, the composition has an active fluoride concentration between 5 and 500 ppm. 
     
     
       11. The oral care composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising a buffer system. 
     
     
       12. The oral care composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the buffer system comprises one or more selected from acetate, carbonate, citrate or phosphate-containing species. 
     
     
       13. The oral care composition according to  claim 1 , wherein when the composition is a mouth wash or oral rinse, it further comprises a linear polysaccharide polymer. 
     
     
       14. The oral care composition according to  claim 13 , wherein the linear polysaccharide polymer is a linear polysaccharide gum, wherein one or more hydroxyl groups on a monosaccharide of the linear polysaccharide gum is substituted with a functional group comprising a group selected from a carboxyl group (R—COOH), an acyl group (RCO—) or a sulphate group (R—OSO 3   − ). 
     
     
       15. An oral care composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oral care composition is in the form of a toothpaste, oral spray, mouthwash or oral rinse formulation. 
     
     
       16. A method for generating gaseous chlorine dioxide within an oral cavity of a subject for a medical purpose comprising, combining stabilized chlorine dioxide solution, an apatite species, and a source of a fluoride ion. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the stabilized chlorine dioxide solution has a concentration of between about 0.05% to about 2.0% (w/v). 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the medical purpose is cleaning teeth and mucous membranes, perfuming teeth and mucous membranes, protecting teeth and mucous membranes, change the appearance of teeth and mucous membranes, correct unpleasant odours, remineralization of teeth, dentine hypersensitivity, and a combination of medical purposes. 
     
     
       19. A method of cleaning teeth and mucous membranes of an oral cavity of a subject, or perfuming them or protecting them, comprising applying an oral care composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       20. The oral care composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the apatite particles have a size distribution such that at least 50% by mass of the apatite particles have a size of less than about 5 microns. 
     
     
       21. The oral care composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the crystallites of the particulate apatite species are of a size of from about 30 nm to about 50 nm, and wherein the apatite particles have a particle size distribution such that at least 15% of the mass of the apatite particles have a size of less than about 5 microns. 
     
     
       22. The oral care composition according to  claim 15 , wherein the oral care composition is in the form of a toothpaste, and wherein the apatite species is a nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite, and wherein the apatite particles form approximately spherical particles with dimensions of from 0.1 to 5 microns.